Biography: Dr. Yen-Lin Goh is a Malaysian Chinese pianist and also an avid performer of contemporary classical music integrating culture, language, and multi-disciplinary art. She has premiered numerous solo and chamber works across North America, Europe, Africa, and Malaysia. In 2015, she was invited as one of two musicians for the Brush Creek Arts Foundation residency in Wyoming, USA. Among her other awards are the PKP Love of Learning National Award, and the Tunisian/American Embassy Piano Fellowship that took her to Tunisia in summer 2009, performing and working with students from the Higher Institute of Music in Sousse. Some of her performances can be found at youtube.com/c/yenlingoh. Dr. Goh has also presented her papers and creative works in various music and film conferences, including the prestigious international conference Music and Moving Image in New York City, International Conference on the Arts in Society where she received the Graduate Scholar Award, and the 2016 Southeast Asian Directors of Music Association (SEADOM) Congress. A full scholarship recipient, Yen-Lin earned her Master of Music in Piano Performance with high honors from Oklahoma City University, and subsequently received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music (Piano Performance) from BGSU in Ohio. She also holds a BA in Piano Performance and Communication Arts/Radio-TV-Film from UW-Madison. Her passion for teaching brought her to Tanzania 2013-15, working as a piano/voice teaching fellow at Umoja Music School and a lecturer at Tumaini University Makumira. She is currently a senior lecturer at Sultan Idris Education University in Malaysia. Her many years of international experience, along with her exposure to Suzuki approach, collective improvisations, Deep Listening, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics, have inspired her to develop an interactive teaching model based on multisensory learning using game-like activities in classrooms.

Topic: Music Games and Fun Learning in Higher Education

Abstract: Improvisation and games are widely practiced in children’s music education around the world. However, game-like approaches are rarely practiced in Higher Education piano pedagogy. Learning by sight remains the predominant method used in classical piano teaching in many Asian countries, which can cause students to rely heavily on musical scores and written instructions. This talk addresses the limitations of a visually-centered approach and introduces an interactive class piano teaching model that explores multisensory learning, particularly learning by ear and learning by touch/feel and game-based learning (GBL). Its objective is to examine the effects of game-based multisensory learning approaches on targeted undergraduate music students in a Malaysian public university. This talk ultimately explores how this engaging learning process can effectively promote independent and active learning, critical and creative thinking, as well as communication skills, which are essential in navigating today’s competitive career environment.